Growing at Seven Climbing

When I was seven years old I had a habit or so called hobby of climbing trees. I think every kid at one point did. I climbed trees everyday. It started off as once a week to something everyday after school for as long until the sun went down. Climbing trees as a little girl was so much fun for me. I wasn't the type of girl that sat inside playing with jewelry or dolls. When you first think of anyone climbing a tree you would think they just go up the tree then just come right back down, but for me that wasn't the case. When I climbed a tree it was my way of escaping the world and going into my own. It was a challenge each day getting to the top. A couple of times I may have scraped myself on branches or edges but I love a challenge. I have five other siblings plus my parents and I, that is eight people. Since I had so many people in one house it felt awesome to have my own escape.
When I reached the top of each tree I carved in a different design each time. I carved swirls, shapes, stick figures, stars, hearts, and each time it was something different that represented something about my day. One day I had a fight at school with another girl. It was nothing huge or nothing of no blood. The fight started when the girl threw a paper ball at me during art, so what did I do? I threw it back at her. Little did I know then how my aim was so well. When I threw it back it went right at her face. I guess I was strong too because she said it hurt bad, but she looked fine. I think the only reason she said that is because the teacher saw the whole thing. We were both put into time out which was in separate corners on bean bag chairs. What happen that day was something I never expected. Later on that day, I climbed the tree and carved a stormy cloud with a lightning bolt. Then two girls on each side of it.
I had little things fro each day and I carved them on the same tree. I loved the idea of being able to have a whole life story of carvings. It was something I enjoyed and it was for me. By the time I turned nine I had every branch filled with carvings. There was not one stop empty. One day I showed my dad and he liked it a lot. I have to admit I am Daddy's little girl and I know that. He watched over me and always made sure I wasn't getting pushed around my other siblings. That day I showed him he was happy I had something I can do for me and somewhere I can be. He built a swing on that tree painted green and a carving of my name. He also got a 14 foot bamboo stick tied it straight up to the tree. I got to climb the bamboo stick to go on my tree everyday. I was scared at first because I never knew how strong it was but I got the hang of it. With all my workout climbing the stick, I knew just in case I had to throw another paper ball it would for sure hurt, so I know no faking would be going on.
As a kid that tree and all the other trees I got to climb, made each day an adventure. It was freedom.